🥾 ActiveWeekend · from Salt Lake City, UT

Red Rocks, Desert Hikes & Starlight

Explore otherworldly desert landscapes and iconic red rock formations while chasing desert sunsets and starlit nights.

Day 1 — Goblin Valley State ParkDay 2 — Arches National Park

Day 1 — Goblin Valley State Park

🚗 3 hr 48 min driving📍 5 stops

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Morning

🚗

Drive

Salt Lake City, UT → Goblin Valley State Park

3 hr 36 min

Goblin Valley State Park

★ Reviews →

Explore a otherworldly landscape of thousands of whimsical hoodoos and mushroom-shaped rock formations that feel like you've stepped onto an alien planet.

~2 hrs📍 See location

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Lunch

🍽️ Lunch~1 hr

Stan's Burger Shak

A Price, UT institution that's been serving hand-pressed burgers since before Utah's food scene existed. The kind of modest spot that out-delivers its appearance every time.

★ Reviews →Hamburger Restaurant📍 Maps →

2 options · tap to switch

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Afternoon

🚗

Drive

Goblin Valley State Park → Little Wildhorse Canyon & Bell Canyon Trailhead

12 min

Little Wildhorse Canyon & Bell Canyon Trailhead

★ Reviews →

Hike through stunning slot canyon narrows with striped red and cream-colored walls, then climb Bell Canyon's slickrock switchbacks for panoramic desert vistas. This 8-mile loop combines intimate canyon passages with expansive high-country views.

~5.5 hrs📍 See location

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Evening

🍽️ Dinner~45 min

Mesa Farm Market

A beloved organic farm cafe and market in the San Rafael Swell area — pick up fresh-made sandwiches, local produce, and homemade baked goods to enjoy as the desert cools at dusk.

★ Reviews →Cafe📍 Maps →

2 options · tap to switch

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Muddy Creek Mining Company

Glamping cabins near Goblin Valley amid the San Rafael Swell — the surrounding landscape is other-planetary, and the dark skies here rank among the darkest in the lower 48. The kind of place that earns 4.9 stars because there's truly nothing else like it.

Day 2 — Arches National Park

🚗 2 hr 39 min driving📍 5 stops

🌅

Morning

🚗

Drive

Goblin Valley State Park → Arches National Park

1 hr 54 min

Arches National Park

★ Reviews →

Marvel at over 2,000 natural stone arches set against striking red rock landscapes, including the iconic Delicate Arch that defines Utah's beauty.

~2.5 hrs📍 See location

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Lunch

🍽️ Lunch~1 hr

Moab Diner

A Moab classic with efficiently prepared American diner food that hits exactly what you need after a morning at Arches or Canyonlands. The milkshakes are a local ritual.

★ Reviews →Diner📍 Maps →

4 options · tap to switch

☀️

Afternoon

🚗

Drive

Arches National Park → Devil's Garden Trail

8 min

Devil's Garden Trail

★ Reviews →

Traverse an otherworldly landscape of twisted hoodoos and natural arches, navigating slickrock fins and colorful badlands formations. The trail rewards hikers with sweeping views of the Henry Mountains and San Rafael Swell at multiple scenic overlooks.

~2.5 hrs📍 See location

🌙

Evening

🚗

Drive

Devil's Garden Trail → Trailhead Public House and Eatery

37 min

🍽️ Dinner~1 hr